FAILED ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON BAR. ANDEM NDEM

Message body

Ubok ukpobo nsung; okpobo okwok!

 

Jerimiah 51:20 says:

“You are my war club, my weapon for battle— with you I shatter nations, with you I destroy kingdoms".

 

Justice shall prevail; and those who fight injustice shall  continue to be protected by the Unseen Hands of God!!

 

 Let not anyone who has fought the injustices of Godswill Obot Akpabio and his henchmen stop for a moment to consider his or her options or his or her safety. The time has come when all of Godswill Obot Akpabio's wickedness  must end; and all his wicked  employees shall be exposed and vulnerable;  even to man's judgement. Almighty God has given his signal that Godswill Obot Akpabio will not succeed anymore as he used to in days gone by. HE will continue to protect those who fight against injustice. Note His Divine Protection for Barrister Andem Andem in this case!!!

 

 The only options open to us who have consistently fought the wicked and evil government of Godswill Obot Akpabio,  and of his employed henchmen and hoodlums;  are  to continue our onslaught on wickedness and tyranny; on murders and murderers;  and to pray at the same time for the protection of others who do the same. This is that time appropriate to ask  Anitie Ekong and Captain Ekong and their alleged employed assassins-to-be,  of Barrister Andem Andem;  - what shall it profit you,  even if you were to gain the whole world;  with spilling  the blood of the innocent? Have your cups of abominations not overflowed?  For how much longer will you hide to seek the murder the innocent? And this very day, either man will, or had already  dressed up in his finest linens to attend  church - it is pertinent to ask both - why do you mock God?

 

Whether Nigerian authorities sweep these allegations under the rug or not; as has been usual with the uncountable and unsolved murders and kidnappings since Godswill Obot Akpabio came to power in Akwa Ibom State;  it has been registered where it will certainly  receive attention  - with God Almighty!

OduduAbasi

DFW 

12^th December, 2011.

 

The Chief of Army Staff

Army Headquarters

Ministry of Defence,

Abuja.

 

Dear Sir,

 

FAILED ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT BY TWO SOLDIERS ON BARRISTER ANDEM NDEM FOR POLITICAL REASONS -A CALL FOR URGENT INVESTIGATION.

 

We are solicitors acting for Barrister Andem E. Ndem (hereinafter referred to as our client) and it is on his instruction and behalf that we lodge this complaint.

 

We are constrained by circumstances  enumerated hereunder to bring to your notice the conduct and actions of some soldiers under your command which is capable of disparaging the image of Nigerian Army and dragging its good name into mud.

 

BACKGROUND FACTS

 

Some politicians conspired with and recruited soldiers, whose details are set out below, to execute an assassination plot against our client for political reasons but the attempt failed hence this call for a thorough investigation.

 

On 9^th September 2011, one Mr. Anietie Ekong, the former secretary of the People’s Democratic Party  in Akwa Ibom State came into Abuja and requested our client to give him a ride to First Bank, Area 3, Garki and thereafter drop him off at his office along Gudu road, near Apo, Abuja. Unknown to our client, the said Mr. Anietie Ekong had recruited two soldiers to use an Army Staff Car to kill our client by knocking him down from behind at top speed immediately after being dropped-off at his office. The two soldiers are Corporal Usman Hassan and another soldier (whose details are with your Military Police Corp) executed this plot by using a Nigeria.

 

Army Staff Car, Peugeuot 406 with registration number NA 499 BOZ to execute this assasination Plot. They actually rammed into our client’s car as planned and fled leaving him for dead. Unfortunately for the soldiers, the impact caused the bonnet of the Army staff car to fling open while in motion thereby causing them to pull up by the road side. By this time, our client had regained consciousness and an eye witness quickly conveyed our client in his car to catch up with the assassins. When they eventually did, our client confronted the driver of the Army Staff car who was in uniform but had removed his name tag. At this point in time his name was unknown. His co-conspirator was in mufti .Subsequently our client, who insisted that they must follow him back to the scene of the accident, was conveyed in the Army Staff Car back to the scene .Before entering the vehicle, he was careful enough to cram the registration number on the   Army Staff Car. When he alighted at the scene, the assassins sold a dummy as if they were coming down from the vehicle as well only for them to speed off again but not after the registration number of the Army staff car  was reconfirmed by our client. The Nigerian Police was invited to the scene. They incidented the matter and issued an extract from crime diary dated 28^th September 2011. A copy is attached hereto.

 

THE CONSPIRACY THEORY AND THE NIGERIAN ARMY

 

Immediately after the foregoing, our client telephoned Mr. Anietie Ekong and informed him about what happened almost in front of his office. The said Mr. Ekong came down from his office to the scene of the accident. Before this incident , the  said Mr. Ekong used to boast about his long standing relationship with one Colonel Ibim Lawson of Military Police Corp. He  was always awash with stories of how the said Colonel Lawson would normally do his “dirty jobs’’ for him. He recalled with nostalgia how the said Colonel Lawson, then a major, was invited by him to harass a taxi driver in B Jay hotel, Victoria Island Lagos who “messed” with him. The then Major Lawson came with his boys to literally throw the taxi driver into the water front in Victoria Island. He claimed that there was practically nothing the said Colonel Lawson could not do for him as his bosom friend. Furthermore, the said Mr. Ekong told everybody who  cared to listen  how the  Chief of Army Staff came to his Hotel in Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State during the Army Conference held in Akwa Ibom recently. He said also that the Chief Security Officer of the Chief of Army Staff (hereinafter referred to as the COAS) is his close friend and also attends his Church, Living Faith Church. He said also that he took a flat on rent from the CSO at  Kuduru Housing Estate.He said further that the COAS and his CSO had to be hosted by him to a feast in Uyo and how together they met the Governor of the State, Barrister Godswill  Akpabio, in one of the Government Guest Houses in Uyo during the said Army Conference .The essence of all these stories was to convince our client and others of his being  wired up in the Army High Command with the attendant consequence of being able to use them for any purpose and get away with it.

 

It was against the foregoing background that our client requested Mr. Ekong to report this incident to his friend, Colonel Lawson since the assassins used an Army Staff Car and wore Army Uniform. After some   hesitation, Mr. Ekong reported this incident to Colonel Lawson the same evening it happened that is friday, 9^th September 2011. According to the feedback given by Mr. Ekong to our client, Colonel Lawson requested that our client should text the details of the Army Staff Car, Venue, time and registration number to him via his GSM phone . The said Mr. Ekong subsequently furnished our client with Colonel Lawson’s number as 08025840281. Our client then sent an SMS to   Colonel Lawson with the details as requested. Thereafter, Mr. Ekong said that Colonel Lawson will come to his Hotel room that same night for a social night out. Our client waited and when it was late, he left for home as the said Colonel Lawson was not forth coming.

 

The next day, Saturday 10^th September 2011, Mr Ekong informed our client that he eventually got in touch with Colonel Lawson who apologised for standing him up the previous night and volunteered the information that he had an order from his boss to represent him at a military wedding in Zaira and for that reason he will not be able to see Mr. Ekong and our client that weekend.

 

He, however promised to commence investigation into the matter our client reported to him on Monday 12^thSeptember 2011.

 

Our client contacted Colonel Lawson on Monday,12^th September 2011, severally until he eventually spoke with him on the phone. Colonel Lawson then informed our client that he has detailed one Captain Gambo of the Military Police in Army Headquarters, Abuja to handle the investigation and that the said Captain Gambo will call our client soon. After a couple of days, the said Captain Gambo called our client and informed him that he has commenced investigation into the matter by sending signals to all the division of the Nigerian Army with a view to tracking down the vehicle with that registration number as it is not within Abuja area. Then the long wait started. One, two, three and by the fourth week, our client informed Captain Gambo that it was unusual for a signal not to be responded for so long knowing the dispatch with which the military is known for. Our client then said that he will have no choice than to complain to COAS.

 

Thereafter our client called Mr. Ekong and expressed his intention to report to COAS. Not long thereafter Captain Gambo called our client to break the news that both the vehicle and the driver has been found   and that our client should visit their office the next day to go through an identification parade. The contemporaneity between the expressed intention to report the matter to COAS and the triangle of phone calls between Mr. Ekong, Colonel Lawson and Captain Gambo, who broke the discovery news, is highly suggestive of a conspiratorial web which a thorough call log check will reveal.              

 

Consequently, it follows reasonably that without the expressed desire to report this matter to COAS, the soldiers and vehicle, who Captain Gambo said were not from Abuja area, may not have suddenly surfaced from the same building where Captain Gambo works.

 

Anyway, eventually, our client visited Capt. Gambo and his team and effortlessly identified Corporal Hassan as the assassin that drove the Army staff car. It was at this juncture that the bubble burst. Our client was informed that Corporal Hassan made a statement to the effect that the “accident “ occurred at First Bank, area 3 Garki and it involved three vehicles which hit him and ran away. Our client debunked this within the police report issued on the day of the incident. It was only then that Corporal Hassan Capitulated and told the truth about the exact details of the incident. Our client was also informed that the said corporal Hassan did not inform his brother to whom the vehicle is attached about the incident that occurred on a Friday evening until Monday morning when the boss was dressed ready for work and had to call his driver, corporal Hassan.  The said staff car was reportedly attached to the DD CORLOG. Our client requested to see this officer but Captain Gambo did not facilitate this for reasons best know to him.

 

EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF THE CONSPIRACY THEORY

 

During the course of investigations our client informed Captain Gambo and his team that the case at hand is not only that of “ACCIDENT” but a pre meditated assassination plot executed by soldiers at the behest of Mr. Anietie Ekong. He called for investigation into this area but Capt. Gambo bluntly refused apparently in conspiracy with Col. Lawson.

 

This theory is furthered by the following pieces of evidence;

 

1.      Kindly recall that our client had stated earlier that Mr. Ekong asked him to drive him to First Bank, Area 3, Garki, Abuja  where he wanted to withdraw some money. Our client obliged and waited for him in the car while he went inside to transact.

 

2.        Recall also that in the initial statement of Corporal Hassan, the driver Assassin, he lied that the said accident took place at the same bank area that Mr. Ekong took our client to it was only after our client confronted corporal Hassan with a police report of the incident that he capitulated.

 

3.        Consequently,  it appeals to common sense to connect Corporal Hassan to Mr. Ekong brought the assassins to the first Bank location. To tail our client to his office where he will alight before the zero hour for strike action.

 

4.        Our Client then suggested that Captain Gambo and his team should write to the GSM service providers for call log details that will provide empirical proof of phone interaction by the Co- conspirators. This letter was prepared by the investigator in the team detective Ekpo but Captain Gambo refuse to sign and forward same because the call log will implicate his boss, Colonel Lawson and the two soldiers together with Mr. Ekong. All entreaties by our client to Captain Gambo to sign and send out this important investigation enquiring fell on deaf ears.

 

5.        Our client further insisted that since Corporal Hassan had another man with him in the Army Staff care at the time of the incident, he should e made to produce him for statement and call log checks against other investigation activities.

 

6.        The investigation invited this second man only to discover that he is also a soldier and a close associate of Corporal Hassan. However, surprisingly, this statement of this second man was not even obtained by Captain Gambo’s team. Also, when asked about his phone he said that, he took same to Area 3 for repaires. Captain Gambo did not bother to verify this or even collect the phone number for call log checks. It is against this background that he reasonably submits that this second soldier is the link between Colonel Lawson, Mr. Ekong, Corporal Hassan. That is why Captain Gambo is providing “covering fine” for him in the ground cover up conspiracy.

7.        Our client also suggested to Captain Gambo and his investigating team that they should extend their enquiring to First Bank, Area 3, Garki, Abuja to confirm whether Mr. Ekong actually came there that day to withdraw. In the afternoon, The corporate account details of the said Mr Ekong with First Bank PLC was given as follows

 

                        ANIKONG INTERNATIONAL COMPANY LIMITED

                        100 UDO OTONA UBO STREET, UYO,

                        AKWA IBOM STATE.

 

8.      Till date, Captain Gambo and his team have refused and or neglected to carry our check which will confirm that that location was used as a connecting rendezvous between Mr Ekong and the assassin soldiers. It is important to note here that from this bank location, our client drove Mr. Ekong direct to his office at Gudu and immediately thereafter this incident took place. Thus the conspiratorial transactions are clear for all to see.

 

9.        Our client also suggested that the bank accounts of these assassin soldiers should be checked before and after the incident for any suspicious cash flow over and above known salary and emoluments. Again, Captain Gambo refuses to do so.

 

10.      It is instructional to note that the driver assassin, Corporal Hassan proceeded, with dispatch, to repair to Army Staff car, on his own, without even informing his boss that any such thing had happened. Why the hurry where did the money for repairs come from? All these are question begging for answers.

 

11.      This incident was reported to Nigerian Army through Colonel Lawson on the very day of the incident 9^thSeptember, 2011. However, due to the ostensible complicity of Colonel Gambo, Captain Gambol, Corporal Hassan, the second soldiers and Mr. Ekong, there have tried, unsuccessfully, to “kill” this investigation without success. That is why it took them about four months to come up with a report albeit, one-sided on this matter without even considering the political assignation angle at all.

 

            MOTIVE BEHIND THE ASSASSINATION THEORY AND THE COMPLICITY OF THE NIGERIAN ARMY PERSONNEL.

 

It is elementary that most if not all crime have motive. The instant one is not an exception. Our client is a politically exposed person. He is the legal adviser of Action Congress on Nigeria in Akwa Ibom state. He is the lawyer handing the two cases with the potential of unseating the Governor of Godswill Akpabio. This clearly puts them on the opposite sides of the political dividend. He has made several television and radio appearances advocating strong views against Governor Akpabio basically on the twin issues of state sponsored and politically motivated insecurity as well as fiscal indiscipline. So, clearly, he is a marked person.

On the other hand Mr. Anietie Ekong, although from the Ibibio ethnic group like our client, was the former secretary of the P.D.P in the state. This ordinarily puts him on the same side with the sitting governor. However, intelligence available has it that the said Mr. Ekong has been doing everything to convince the Governor about his loyalty. That is why he undertook to “take care” of our client who is perceived to be a thorn in the flesh of Governor Akpabio as far as the politics of the oil rich state is concerned. This is where yet another officer or the Nigeria Army, though retired, is concerned. He is Rtd Capt. Ekong. He is currently, the security Adviser to Governor Akpabio in this capacity; he is the operational link between Governor Akpabio and Mr. Anietie Ekong. Both Rtd capt Ekong and Mr Anietie Ekong are not only close friends, they are also from the same part of the state. The interesting thing about Rtd Capt Ekon is security Advisor that Akwa Ibom State, has experienced the worst form of insecurity, Kidnap and inexplicable politically motivated murders often linked to the state. Furthermore it is a known fact that the said Rtd Captain Ekong was dismissed from the Nigerian Army for security breach at Dodan Barracks. A check on his military records will bear us out on this point. His service records will show that as a security officer at Dodan Barracks, he compromised National security by granting access to the communications room to his friends in the 419 business who used the facilities to make free telephone calls to their victims abroad and subsequently shared the proceeds with the said Rtd. Captain Ekong. It was the flashy lifestyle of this retired Captain complete with exotic cars that were definitely above the genuine income of an Army Caption that attracted the suspicion of the Army authorities at that time who placed him on discreet surveillance until he was caught red handed and subsequently dealt with in that manner. It is this same man that conspired with Mr. Anuetine Ekong to hatch this plot because in their opinion, the activities of our client had become a “ Security problem” to Governor Akpabio. When all the forgoing is pieced together the Jig-saw Puzzle regarding the motive for this crime becomes apparent.

 

TELEPHONE NUMBERS OF PARTIES FOR CALL LOG CHECKED.

 

Please, find set out below the telephone numbers of parties aforementioned. It is our reasonable believe that a call log check complete with SMS therein will assist in this investigation.

 

1.        Mr. Anietie Ekong                                     07035371108

08094455739

07081723602

2          Colonel Ibim Lawson                                 08025840281

3.        Captain Gambo                                           07039599209

                                                                                    07081349010

4.        Rtd. Captain Ekong                                                07037702266

                                                                                    08072299446

5.        Corporal Hassan                                         Phone number is in Captain

                                                                                    Gambo’s case file

6.        Second Soldier                                            Phone number is in Captain

                                                                                    Gambo’s custody

 

 

PRAYER AND REQUESTS

 

1.        It is our humble request that this matter be dispassionately investigated with a view to bringing the culprits to book. Its importance is underscored by the fact that it borders on the life of a citizen. The right to life is guaranteed under chapter iv of our constitution as amended and anytime that there is a threat to life, same should be investigated with dispatch.

 

2.        We also respectfully request that this investigation should no longer be handled by the Military Police Corp. for the obvious reason that we have indicted some of their officers for direct complicity and subsequent cover- up. It is elementary criminal junspurdence principle that a man shall be a judge in his own cause. Consequently, we pray the COAS to direct as appropriate to any other arm of the Nigerian Army for proper and dispassionate investigation.

 

CONCLUSION

 

We wish to reiterate the obvious fact that we have absolute confidence in the person and office of the COAS to handle this investigation professionally and do justice accordingly. The integrity and reputation of the Nigerian Army is at Stake here. As law abiding Citizens, we cannot afford to stand-by and watch its good name being dragged into much without reporting to your good office. This call to duty becomes even higher against the backdrop of the present realities in our national security environment. We reasonably believe that on individual no matter how high ranking, is permitted to personally misappropriate the National institution of the Nigerian Army and misuse same for selfish political gains.

 

Thank you very much for your anticipated cooperation in this regard even as me assure you of our warmest regards at all times.

 

 

Complements of the Seasons.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

 

ANDEM E. NDEM, Esq

PRICIPAL SOLICITOR

LL.B(Hons) BL, LL.M, PGD, AMNIN

08023153217.

 

 

CC.

1.        The President and Commander –in- Chief

of the Nigerian Armed Forces

            State House,

            Presidential Villa

            Aso Rock, Abuja

2.        The National Security Adviser

            State House

            Aso Rock, Abuja.

 

3.        The Chief of Defence Staff

            Defence Headquarter,

            Abuja.

 

4.        The Director- General

            State of Security Service

            Headquarters

            Maitama, Abuja.

 

Eno Adams
INN/ Hayward, CA
Give Me Peace In Akwa Ibom Or Give Me Nothing!